Community people: Caughman's Corner PreschoolTHE COURIER / Submitted The following were winners of the Caughman's Corner Preschool annual Lightning Bug Catching contest: first place tie, Lainee Ivey, 416, and Blaine Myers, 416; second place, Raelynn Ward, 194; and third place, Harper Wheatley, 36. The contest was part of their unit of study about insects. The bugs were counted and then released.

Gotta catch 'em all!THE COURIER / Submitted Paige Burris with Happy Campers Clubhouse holds up an iPad Wednesday morning at Lake Dardanelle State Park as she and school age kids search the park for Pokémon and other items from the popular game Pokémon Go that has been sweeping the nation this past week.

Community people: Bank of the Ozarks and Single Parent Scholarship FundTHE COURIER / Submitted Bank of the Ozarks presented a $500 donation to the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Pope and Yell counties for their 19th annual Shrimp and Catfish Dinner fundraiser, which will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday, July 28 at the Russellville Hughes Center. Funds raised provide scholarships to eligible single parent college students. Pictured are Jeanna Vickers, vice president and branch manager, and Sabra Bartlett, executive direct...

Reprinted from a 1972 edition of the Democrat-CourierReprinted from a 1972 edition of the Democrat-Courier. FAMILY HONOR -- Miss Arkansas of 1971, Marilyn Morgan, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George L. Morgan Jr. of Clarksville, received a silver serving tray at the recent Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation convention in Hot Springs. Making presentation was Harold Ohlendorf (right), who congratulated the family on bringing honor to the farming community. He retired as federation president at the c...

HR director offers job passionDonna Ashley understands that Pope County is entering a new era, as the county's first human resources director begins work next month. Ashley, a Cleburne County native, told the Pope County Quorum Court during her introduction at the July meeting that she has devoted 20 years to this field because she enjoys showing people that they can be all they can be -- whether it's 200 employees or over 1,500. "I appreciate this opportunity," she said. ...

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BY SEAN INGRAMsean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Explanation behind deadly force by policeDeadly force occurs in less than 1 percent of the millions of encounters police have with people each year. A look at the laws and policies governing when police can use deadly force: When is force justified? There are two defining cases. In Tennessee v. Garner in 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that an officer cannot use deadly force against a fleeing suspect unless the suspect is a significant threat to the officer or to others. Four year...

Community people: Russellville Police Department and Charlie MIkkelsenTHE COURIER / Submitted Charlie Mikkelsen, 5, brought the Russellville Police Department (RPD) doughnuts after becoming upset about last week's attack on Dallas officers. When he presented the treats he said, "Sorry about your friends." The RPD said on its Facebook page, "We are proud to have such strong support from our community. That support strengthens our officers, especially during trying times such as this." With Mikkelsen is Cpl. Bryce...

Local officers receive support after Dallas shootingsA mystery man surprised the Pope County Sheriff's Office with breakfast Friday morning claiming he wanted to show officers how much they are appreciated in the wake of the shootings that claimed the lives of five Dallas Police officers. It was a small gesture, but an important one, Ramona Woods, administrative assistant to the sheriff, said. "We are human beings like anybody else," she said. "We appreciate any kindness at all." The man, who de...

Locals spread beauty throughout communityDick and Rita Goodman moved to Russellville in 2003. In a little more than a decade, they have helped the art community grow to new heights. From the paintings displayed in Fat Daddy's to the black and white celebrity paintings in a downtown alley, the Goodmans are always finding ways to add character to Russellville. The couple met years back when they were both working in Little Rock. Rita lived in Little Rock working as an accountant for En...

Firefighter dies following wreck on Highway 60PLAINVIEW -- Tragedy struck this community in Yell County on Thursday afternoon when a Plainview volunteer firefighter lost his life during the department's weekly meeting. According to a report from the Arkansas State Police (ASP), Lancy Crawford, 50, was driving a 1996 Ford tanker truck East on State Highway 60 shortly after 5 p.m. The report stated the truck was negotiating a curve when it left the road, overcorrected and re-entered the roa...

Community people: Harry O Komprood and Ron HopeTHE COURIER / Submitted Harry O. Komprood, commander of Chapter 27, Russellville Disabled American Veterans (DAV), was installed by Ron Hope, past national commander of the DAV, as the state DAV chaplain. This is a volunteer position and carries with it the willingness to travel the state of Arkansas to meet the spiritual needs of veterans and their families.

Quorum Court meets new HR directorThe Pope County Quorum Court approved ordinances that allowed Circuit Clerk Diane Willcutt, Sheriff Shane Jones and 5th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons to fill vacancies in their offices during Thursday's third and final meeting. Justices of the Peace were also introduced to Donna Ashley, the new human resources director. She will begin her new position for Pope County in the first couple of weeks of August. Chief Deputy B...

Community people: ANO and River Valley Christian ClinicTHE COURIER / Submitted Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO) presented a $10,000 donation to the River Valley Christian Clinic. The funds will help support the clinic's mission, which is to provide medical, dental and optical care for those who cannot afford to access traditional health care services. Accepting the check from Jeremy Browning, ANO site vice president, is Suzanne Yelverton, RVCC board president.

Junior Auxilary wraps up summer programsJunior Auxiliary of Russellville recently provided more than 220 volunteer hours for the Summer Reading Program and the Summer Arts Camp. At the Pope County Library, members checked the children in, recorded the number of books read and handed out rewards each week. Junior Auxiliary also partnered with the River Valley Arts Center for the summer art camp. Members assisted the art instructor with projects for the kids, as well as helping superv...

Lake Dardanelle park to host cleanup dayIt's that time of year again. Volunteers will gather together to help clean Lake Dardanelle for the sixth year in a row as part of the Arkansas River Cleanup in conjunction with American Rivers' National River Cleanup on July 9 at Lake Dardanelle State Park. The event will begin with registration at 8 a.m. at the park's visitor center. The cleanup will end at 10:30 a.m. In celebration of Picnic in the Park, volunteers are invited to enjoy a fr...

Section of old Gardner building deemed 'beyond repair'The Building and Grounds Committee approved the abatement and demolition of the middle school section of the old Gardner Junior High building at a cost of $432,300 prior to the June 21 Russellville Board of Education meeting. The building was discussed as "beyond repair." The demolition of the single-story structure is set to begin this month. During the school board meeting, a new speech-language pathologist position for the 2016-2017 school ...

Community people: Pro TeamTHE COURIER / Submitted The Pro Team and Rhonda McBride joined together to support CASA of the 5th Judicial District with a $500 donation in honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month. Pictured is CASA Board Treasurer McBride and the Pro Team owners Wes Freeman and Brian Boyer, along with office manager Ryan Morris and sales associates John Young and Chad Richardson.

Reprinted from a 1976 edition of the Courier-DemocratReprinted from a 1976 edition of the Courier-Democrat. ASSEMBLING resource material to be used in observance of Arbor Day in Pope County are officers of the Pope County Conservation District junior board, from left: Deliah Athey, Hector, treasurer; Paula Cumbia, Dover, secretary, and Allen Powers, Atkins, chairman. The material will be given to third grade teachers over the county for use in their Arbor Day projects.